Device for filling gelating capsules



Oct. 11, 1955 H. FLElscHER ET AL DEVICE F'OR FILLING GELATIN CAPSULES .Filed April 4, 1952 United States Patent Oce `DEVICE FOR FILLING GELA'IIN CAPSULES Henry Fleischer, Jamaica, and Jack Rogg, Long Island City, N. Y.

Application April 4, 1952, Serial No. 280,518

3 Claims. (Cl. 226-41) This invention relates to apparatus or devices to facilitate the filling of gelatin capsules with powder, and the main object is the provision of an improved simple, practical and inexpensive device of this type which speeds up and simplifies the operation of filling such capsules.

The above broad as well as additional and more specific objects will be clarified in the following description wherein characters of reference refer to like-numbered parts in the accompanying drawing. It is to be noted that the drawing is intended solely for the purpose of illustration and that it is therefore neither desired nor intended to limit the invention necessarily to any or all of the exact details of construction shown or described except insofar as they may be deemed essential to the invention.

Referring briefly to the drawing,

Fig. l is a perspective view of the device. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlargement of Fig. 2, illustrating the application of the device in filling capsules with powder.

Fig. 4 is also a fragmentary enlargement of Fig. 2, except that it shows the upper plate in depressed position, with the filled capsules projecting above the level of the plate and ready to be capped.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing how the lled capsules are capped.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of an accessory or divider adapted for use when a smaller number of capsules are to be lled than the capacity of the device permits.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary side elevational View of the device, with parts broken away and partly in section, with the divider in use.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 8*-8 of Fig. 4.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 10 indicates the lower plate or base of the device, from the` ends of which like posts 11 extend. The lower portion `12 of each post has a constant diameter, and the upper portion 13 thereof has also a constant but a smaller diameter than the lower portion, the shoulder 14 between the two portions being rounded or beveled. Approximately intermediate the height of the upper portion 13, each upper portion 13 has a circumferential rounded flange or ring 15.

At a level spaced below the shoulder 14, each lower post portion 12 is provided with diametrically opposed spring urged balls 16 of standard construction. One way in which such construction may be achieved is illustrated in Fig. 8, wherein a diametrical passage 17 is shown, through the post, the extremities of the passage being restricted so that balls 16 at the ends of the passage are urged outward a distance equal to less than their diameter by a spring 18 positioned inthe passage.

A second or upper plate is shown at 19 with respect to the ends of which the ends of the base plate 10 are preferably undercut to facilitate release of the upper plate as will become apparent below. The floor 21 of the plate 19 is depressed within the encircling frame 20 of this plate, thereby providing a shallow receptacle. A plurality of rows and columns of circular perforations or holes 22 are provided through the floor 20, all having the same diameter which is equal to the outside diameter of the bodies of the capsules 23 which are to be filled with the aid of the device.

A hollow sleeve 24 at each end of the plate 19 is integral with and extends through the frame 20, the centerto-center distance between these sleeves being equal to the like distance between the posts 11. Near but spaced from the lower end of each sleeve 24, the sleeve has an internal circumferential groove 25.

The maximum diameter of each ring 15 is equal to the diameter of the lower post portion 12, and the internal diameter of each sleeve 24 is equal to the: said maximum diameter of the ring and the said diameter of the lower post portion 12.

The plate 19 is of course completely separable from the plate 10. The operation of positioning; the upper plate on the posts is greatly facilitated by providing the upper post portions 13 with a smaller diameter than the lower post portions 12, for it is obvious that this may readily be done with the upper post portions registering in the considerably larger sleeve portions 24 of the upper plate. Even in case the upper plate is applied without being perfectly parallel with the lower plate, the upper plate will readily assume such a position of parallelism owing to the rounded rings 15. For example, if an edge of the sleeve meets the ring 15 it will tend to ride over the rounded ring and thus automatically position the sleeves in true axial alignment with the posts. As a result of this structure no time need be lost in fitting the sleeves into perfect alignment with the posts, as would be necessary if the posts had the same diameter as the sleeves through the length of the posts. Thus, when the upper plate is applied on the posts, it will rest in the position shown in Fig. 2, with the lower edges of the sleeves resting on the balls 16.

The next step then is to push the upper plate 19 downward lightly until the balls 16 register in the grooves 25, asshown in Fig. 3, in which position the plate 19 is maintained firmly yet yieldably in parallel relationship to the plate 10. Then the capsule bodies 23 are inserted into the openings 22 to rest on the plate 10, with their open upper ends liush or substantially flush with the floor 21. The desired or necessary amount of powder is then poured on the floor 21 and, with the aid of a spreader such as shown at 26, the powder is distributed about the floor thereby filling the capsule bodies. After the latter have thus been filled, the plate 19 is further depressed, causing the balls 16 to be forced inward as the grooves 15 pass `below them in a downward direction, and `the plate 19 is finally stopped by contact of the lower edges of the sleeves with the plate 10, as shown in Fig. 4. In this position of the plate 19, the capsule bodies 23 project above the floor 21 a distance sufficient to permit of applying the caps 27 to the capsules. After they have all thus been capped, the finished filled capsules are removed by tilting the device.

Obviously, assuming that the capsule bodies were sufliciently longer than illustrated, they could be inserted into the device while the lower ends of the sleeves rest on the balls 16, whence the internal grooves 25 could be dispensed with.

When it is desired to fill a smaller number of capsules than the number of openings 22 in the floor 21, a divider 28 is used. This comprises a strip 29 equal in length to the width of the floor 21 and having its ends rounded, as shown at 30, complementarily to the concavely rounded base of the frame 20. Intermediate the length of the strip 29 a pin 31 projects downward and has a `diameter such Patented Get. 11, 1955 that it will register in any opening 22. The strip is positioncd transversely as illustrated in Fig. 7, and the capsule bodies and powder are then placed on one side of the divider; the latter has a knurled grip 32.

' The plate 19 may readily, by inserting the iingers between the ends of both plates, be lifted from the plate 10, and the undercutting of the plate with respect to the plate 19, as previously mentioned, facilitates this operation.

It is apparent that longer capsule bodies may even be filled with the upper plate 19 positioned in its maximum upper position shown in Fig. 2, that is, capsule bodies, not shown, which would have such a length that when they rest on the base plate 10 their upper open ends would register in the openings 22 and lie flush with the iioor 21.

Obviously, modifications in form or structure may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.

We claim: l. A device of the class described comprising a base plate having like posts on the opposed ends thereof, an upper plate having a depressed oor and a frame-like wall surrounding said oor, said upper plate having like vertical sleeves extending through opposed ends thereof, said sleeves having an internal diameter substantially equal to the external diameter of said posts and having a centerto-center spacing therebetween equal to the center-to-center spacing between said posts to permit registration of said posts in said sleeves, said posts having yieldable rounded projections thereon positioned in a horizontal plane spaced above said base plate, said oor having a plurality of spaced capsule-supporting openings therethrough, said upper plate being adapted to be supported in a position parallel with said base plate with the lower ends of said sleeves resting on said projections, said lower ends and the lower portions of said sleeves being adapted to ride over and force inward said projections upon the application of downward pressure on said upper plate, said sleeves having internal recesses therein positioned in a horizontal plane spaced upward from the plane through the lower ends of the sleeves and receptive of said projections, the engagement of said projections in said recesses stopping downward movement of said upper plate and positioning the same closer to said base plate, the device in said second-named position of said upper plate being adapted to have upright capsule bodies mounted on said base plate with the upper open ends thereof registering in said openings of the upper plate, said upper plate in said second-named position being adapted upon the application of renewed downward pressure thereon to cause that portion of said sleeves above the level of said recesses to ride over and force inward said projections to move said upper plate downward to its lowermost position wherein the lower ends of said sleeves contact said base plate thereby causing the upper portions of said capsule bodies to project above said floor, said posts having reduced upward extensions and each having a shoulder separating the post from the extension, said shoulder having a downward slope from the lower extremity of said extension to the upper extremity of the post, said extensions having circumferential rounded anges of a maximum diameter equal to the diameter of said posts and positioned between the upper and lower extremities of the extensions.

2. In a device comprising two rigid members one of i which is provided with two spaced identical cylindrical posts and the other of which is provided with two similarly spaced identical cylindrical sleeves adapted to ride over said posts to mount said members one adjacent the other in mutually slidable relationship, wherein close tolerance is provided between said sleeves and said posts, means for facilitating the initial centering of said sleeves on said posts prior to moving said members together comprising reduced concentric extensions on said posts, said extensions having rounded circumferential flanges thereon positioned in a plane at right angles to the axes of the posts, said anges having a maximum diameter equal to the maximum diameter of the posts, said sleeves being readily mountable on said post extensions and movable thereon into contact with said anges and with the application of increased pressure of the members toward each other readily centering themselves in riding over said rounded flanges with respect to said anges and hence also with respect to said posts.

3. The device set forth in claim 2, said members comprising normally parallel plates, one of said plates having a plurality of capsule-supporting openings therethrough and being adapted to be positioned above the other of said plates, said posts having normally protruding rounded radial projections positioned in a common plane at right angles to the axes of the posts between said flanges and the bases of the posts, yieldable means normally urging said projections outward to said normally protruding position, said sleeves being adapted after riding over said anges as aforesaid to be stopped by said protruding projections, the device in said last-named position being adapted to have upright capsule bodies mounted on said other of said plates with the open upper ends of the bodies registering in said openings, said one of said plates in said last-named position being adapted upon the application of renewed downward pressure thereon to cause the lower ends of the sleeves to push said projections inward and to move into contact with said other plate thereby causing. the upper ends of the capsule bodies to project above said other of said plates.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Fritts Mar. 27, 1951 

